One Reason
by eternityisours
Summary: [ONE SHOT] Mark comes to Seattle in a desperate attempt to win Addison back. Set in 2x18: “Yesterday”. REVIEW!


**Title: **One Reason

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything from _Grey's Anatomy_ except for the two seasons currently released on DVD.

**Rating: **M

**Pairing:** Mark/Addison

**Summary:** (ONE SHOT) Mark comes to Seattle in a desperate attempt to win Addison back. Set in 2x18: "Yesterday". REVIEW!

**A/N:** My third _Grey's _fic ever, I do believe, and my second Mark/Addison. Constructive comments/criticism on things like character development, wording, etc. I love line-by-line reviews from those who are generous enough to give them. Please be gentle! I also took some scenes from 2x18 and changed them up a bit. Enjoy!

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Mark Sloan sat motionless at his desk. Time, responsibilities, deadlines – they meant nothing to him at this point. His mind resided within a fuzzy haze, not functioning nor comprehending anything. There was only one explanation for this newly depressed, brooding Mark, and that explanation could be summed up in one word: Addison.

Addison, who had brought him so much pain. So much anger, and happiness, but above all else: guilt. Addison, who had spent those blissful months with him. Addison, who had suddenly claimed one day that she just "couldn't do it anymore". Addison, who, ironically, had left him for the man that she'd cheated with him on.

Addison Forbes Montgomery Shepherd.

_Shepherd_.

The very mention of the name that the love of his life and her husband, his ex-best friend still shared made Mark's heart beat more quickly, his face flush and his hands clench, and he would have had to sit down if he hadn't been already.

It had been pure torture – watching the two of them in their marriage. Always laughing, and smiling – there'd been _too much_ happiness. Forced happiness. It was awful to watch them go home together, when Mark had known that what Addison _really _wanted was to go home with_ him_.

Luckily, Derek hadn't noticed the looks that Mark had given her day after day; suggestive smiles, lustful glances, angry scowls, knowing smirks. The whole Mark Sloan charmer package, and it had always worked on women. But not on Addison.

Soon enough though, Derek stopped noticing Addison all together, so caught up in surgery and his job to notice her. Although, in Mark's opinion, Derek's true duty was to Addison, and Addison alone. He became accustomed to having midnight phone calls with her as she crouched in a small closet in the Brownstone that she shared with Derek, sobbing in quiet, controlled gasps, so as not to let Derek hear her.

How many times had Mark comforted her, and assured her that Derek's schedule and sudden fame in the world of surgery were his reasons for ignoring her? How many times had Addison showed up on his doorstep, face soaking wet and hair sticking out at every angle imaginable, looking as beautiful as ever, begging to stay the night with him? How many times had Derek snapped at Addison for no particular reason, sending Mark into a fit of rage and her into a bout of tears?

There was one answer: countless times. Mark could remember every tear that she had shed, every reason behind every phone call, every visit. He could still see her small, shaking form in his doorway, pleading for Derek's love; for anything. Anything to take away her pain.

But she had left him, and there was no denying it. She had left him for the same son of a bitch who had taken the strong, beautiful, independent woman that Addison had once been and effortlessly broken her. The same man who had reduced her to only a shadow of who she'd once been, and that stung Mark the most; the fact that Addison would rather be with the man who had hurt her than with Mark, who had been there for her every step of the way.

He shook his head, attempting to clear it of all thoughts concerning Addison. Standing, Mark concocted the only solution to his problems that he could think of at the moment.

Double scotch, single malt.

_Stupid idiot_, Mark cursed himself as he lifted the newly filled glass to his lips. All that did was remind him of Derek, which brought him back to square one: Addison. When would she learn that Derek didn't love her anymore, _couldn't_ love her anymore, and come back to him?

Mark downed the rest of his drink, wincing as the alcohol hit the back of his throat, burning in a gloriously painful manner. His hand moved instinctively to refill the glass. It became a routine until Mark finally fell into a fitful sleep on the sofa next to his liquor cabinet, too drunk to feel much of anything.

Mission accomplished.

---

A loud, blaring noise jolted Mark awake, reverberating in his ears and causing him to open his eyes blearily. It took him a while, but he finally recognized the sound – his telephone, conveniently located on the table beside his sofa – in other words, right next to his head. Great. What idiot had decided to put it there?

Oh, that was right. It had been Derek, who had insisted upon that particular location so that it would be within reach of those perched upon the sofa as Mark was now. It figured.

He reached over and picked it up, annoyed.

"Yeah," he mumbled into the phone as a way of greeting the unfortunate person on the other end.

"Mark…"

He straightened up suddenly, whacking his head on the table where the phone had been as he almost fell off the couch.

It was Addison.

"Ouch, fuck," Mark swore under his breath, holding the receiver away from his face for a moment. "Addison?"

"Mark…" Addison repeated, and her re-utterance of that one word that was, ironically, his name, broke his heart. Her voice sounded raspy, as if she'd been crying for hours, and he could practically see the lost, dazed look on her face.

"Addison, what's wrong?" He tried to stop the words from spewing out of his mouth, convince himself that he didn't care, but he had to know.

"Derek is…Derek's moved on."

Mark stayed silent, praying that she would provide him with something more detailed than that.

"He…there's this girl." A loud sniffle could be heard coming from the other end of the phone. "Meredith something. Her last name was a color. Brown? I don't know."

Abruptly, Addison began laughing hysterically, in a strange, high pitched voice that didn't suit her at all.

"Guess who she is, Mark!" Addison gasped into the phone, still laughing.

"A lesbian?"

"An intern!" She howled, completely ignoring his last comment. "He fell in love with an _intern_, Mark! That's like…" Addison paused as she searched her mind for some sort of appropriate comparison. "That's like you, sleeping with our attending, Dr. Kramer, back in our first year in New York!"

"Hey!" Mark exclaimed, attempting to defend himself, but to no avail. "I told Derek that was confidential!"

Once again, Addison ignored him, seemingly determined to rant to her heart's content with no interruptions.

"An _intern_, Mark," she continued, positively seething. Her breathing became more uneven, and he controlled the urge to interrupt her. "You know how irresponsible that is, right, Mark? Even _you_ wouldn't be stupid enough to fall for your intern. Especially one with a color for a last name. Meredith…Brown? Maybe it was Grey. I don't remember Mark, and I…I don't care. I just _want him back_."

"He isn't coming back, Addie," Mark said softly. God, how long had he waited for Addison to wake up and figure that out on her own? Too fucking long. "Face it. Your marriage is over."

"No, no it isn't!" Addison shouted at him, voice unfocused and words slurred. "It's just a phase, Mark, tell him – "

"Addison? Are…are you _drunk_?" he questioned, shocked. Addison was never drunk. Sure, she liked her fill of alcohol every now and then, but responsible, constantly sober Addison was _drunk_? It had always been Mark's job to become indisposed.

"Does it matter?" Her words were more jumbled now – she was still drinking.

"Addison, _stop_," Mark commanded, enunciating clearly. He slammed his hand against the wall, letting her hear the loud smack and simultaneously allowing her to realize that he was being dead serious. "Stop it, _now_. You are not going to let – let Derek break you again. Do you understand me? This isn't your fault. _He_ was the one who was absent, the one who hurt you. He was an asshole, Addison, and don't you think for one minute that you owe him anything."

"Mark," Addison interrupted, crying even more desperately now, straining to intake air that became apparent in how it affected her speech. "Mark, stop, you – "

"I'm not done, Addie," Mark cut her off, pacing slowly around his living room, contemplating his next words carefully. "You are a beautiful, intelligent, talented, _amazing_ woman. Derek may not see it, but I do. I swear to you that I do. Derek isn't good enough for you, and he never was, _he never will be_. And until you see that, I will be right here, waiting for you. I was always there for you, Addison, don't you remember? I always comforted you, and I was the one who took care of you and damn it, I always will be." He paused, breathing heavily. "Derek doesn't love you anymore, accept it and come back to New York, Addison, _please_. I'm – " He took another deep breath, chest heaving. "I'm begging you."

Silence.

"Addison? Addie, are you there?" He was afraid that she might have hung up on him.

"I'm here. Mark…"

"Look, you don't have to respond to what I just said. Just…think about it."

"Okay." Her voice was small; mouse-like, and almost inaudible. He'd never heard her so timid and fragile before, not even during their midnight phone calls and meetings.

"Where are you?"

"Um, Seattle," Addison answered, sounding confused.

"No, I know. What hotel?"

"Mark, you are NOT coming here. Don't – "

"Addison. _Answer me_."

"It's the Hilton hotel a little way from Seattle Grace," she surrendered. "But Mark, if you – "

"I'll be there," he promised. "I'll be on the next plane to Seattle."

---

Mark arrived the next day in Seattle, not even bothering to change once he reached his hotel. He dropped off his luggage and then he was gone, on a taxi headed towards Seattle Grace.

His welcome presents were meeting Meredith (Grey, he later found out, not Brown) and a punch in the face from Derek. At least he was going into surgery that day – he needed something to clear his mind.

As Mark continued to stalk the halls of Seattle Grace, he ran into both Addison and Derek.

At the same time.

Derek stopped upon seeing him, and then turned around and stomped off in the opposite direction.

But so did Addison.

"Addie – Addison, wait!" He chased after her, grasping her by the arm and spinning her around to look at him. "Oh, come on," he said as she glared at him with a sharp, venomous expression on her face. "You're not even a _little_ bit happy to see me?"

"Go home," she spat at him between clenched teeth. "Whatever it is that you came here to do, just _drop it_, Mark. Drop it and leave."

"Addison, we all make mistakes. All three of us – "

"Mark – "

"But somehow I lost my best friend and the woman I loved. Do you follow that?" People were staring now, and not subtly. Pointing, giggling, Mark heard and saw it all. But he was completely focused on the beautiful and utterly pissed off woman in front of him.

"Please, Mark." Her head dropped down, her gaze falling to the floor. "Don't say that."

"_You_ called me, Addison." There was something in her eyes that made him reevaluate the situation at hand. "He doesn't know how we felt." He prayed it wasn't true, but her eyes flickered to the window behind him, and a lump formed in his throat. "He doesn't know that you stayed with me after he left, Addison? How do you expect to work out a marriage when you can't even be honest with him?"

"Why are you here?" She avoided his question. Mark stared incredulously at her, dropping her arm, and letting it fall limply to her side.

"One reason. To bring you home."

Addison looked up at him, disbelieving.

"Addie…I miss you."

"I am in love with my _husband_, Mark." He flinched.

"But he isn't in love with you." A sudden desire to hurt her took over his body, controlling what he said. He wanted her to feel a fraction of what he had had to endure seeing her with Derek, day after day, month after month, year after year. "He's in love with that intern, and he's not even trying to hide it. Why would you still want to stick around for that?"

He waited for Addison's response, eyes boring into hers.

She walked away.

---

Mark tried to get through the rest of the day, but his mind kept wandering to Addison. It was a good thing that Jake had not been alive when he'd operated; Mark had been that out of it all day after his encounter with her. So when he finally stepped into one of the elevators at Seattle Grace, more than ready to go back to his hotel and fall into a peaceful sleep, seeing Derek and Addison in that same elevator threw him. But only a little bit.

"Don't beat yourself up," Mark said, pulling himself together. He had only been referring to the look on Derek's face, but apparently his ex-best friend took offense to it.

"I'll take the stairs," Derek spat, striding smoothly off the elevator and walking away.

"Oh, come on!" Mark shouted to his retreating back. "How can you forgive her but not me?"

"I didn't forgive her," Derek spun around, eyes blazing and movements suddenly harsh. "And with _you_, I have no obligation to try!"

The elevator doors closed, and Addison let out an audible sigh, hunching herself in a corner, trying not to stare at Mark. She would probably jump him, or something equally bad if that happened, and so she kept her eyes trained on the doors of the elevator, pointedly staring at them.

"Your marriage is over, Addison."

In one stride, Mark was at her side, and she promptly forgot how to breathe. His cologne, mixed in with his clean, soapy, musky scent, was spreading over her and it made her become involuntarily dizzy.

"All you have to do is admit it," Mark continued, leaning closer. Her body shifted automatically in response to his close proximity, brushing up against him. "And then…you can come back home. With me."

Her eyes lifted finally, meeting his. She was crying silently, the tears making their way slowly down her face. How had it come to this?

"I'm going to the bar across the street," he whispered, hands set gently on her waist as she held her closer. "Meet me there." Cautiously, he brought one hand up, stroked her cheek. More tears escaped her, and she gave him an agonized, fleeting look.

Never closing his eyes, he kissed her, slow and sweet. The first one they'd shared since New York. The tears were coming faster now. Addison gave him a small, sad smile, and it made his stomach clench. In one sentence, he expressed to her the three words that she'd unknowingly wanted to hear since the moment they met.

"I love you."

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**A/N:** Thoughts, feedback, please! I'm actually quite proud of this fic, hee. And yes, I'm a review whore, so any reviews make me happy. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the fic!


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